Rib-knitting machine



Feb. 4, 1930. I I K. HowlE 1,745,678

RIB KNITTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 16, 1928 3 Shee'ts-Sheet 1 l KO fr) Q0 i@ v y l Feb. 4, 1930.

K. HowlE 1,745,678

111B KNITTING nc'mrm `Filed Nw. 16. 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 /6 /6 Feb. 4, 1930.' K HowlE 1,745,678

RIB KNITTING MACHINE vFiled Nov. 16, 1928 3 Sheena-Sheet 3 lPatented Feb. 4, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT lol-"EICE KENNETH IIoWIE, or NoRRIs'roWN, 'PENNsYIvANIa".AssIGNoR 'ro WILDMAN MFG. (30.,-015` NomusmowN, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA RIB-KNITTING MCHINE Application led November 16, 1928. .Serial No. 819,816.

One object of the invention is to provide a rib knitting machine capable ofproducing fine gauge fabric which shall be free-from the difficulties attending dividing for pressing on the second. row of needles, and which also shall be free from the objection in latch needle practice of interference of latches when fine gauges are sought to be produced in rib fabric.

In carrying out the invention, I employ one row of spring needles and a row of cof operating latch needles. I prefer to use spring needles for the first row, to which the yarn is fed, and the second row is of latch needles to which the yarn is fed by the spring needles of the first row.

Another object is to secure visibility of the knitting elements, one purpose here being to enable fabric to be readily placed on the needles for starting the knitting of the goods.

A further object is to provide means of simple construction for lifting the dial and its cap away from the cylinder to gain ready access to the needles of the inner row.

Other objects will appear from the following description and appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a'central vertical sectional view of a machine embodying the invention.

- Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of part ofthe main bracket in which the center post is sup ported. l Fig. 3 -is a vertical sectional view of part of the'cylinder and dial with the needle cam rsupports and the knitting needles, the secl tion being taken substantiallyat the point where the yarn is fed to the spring beard needles. 'I Fig. 3 is a view of the needles in their relation at the point where the spring beard needles are feeding the yarn to the latch needles of the second row.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view like Fig. 3 but taken yat a point where the beard presser is located.v

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a detail showing the presser and the yarn feeding liner. g Fig. 5a is a bottom plan, Fig. 5b a front beard type.

needle cylinder, 2 the cam box belon in thereto, 3 vthe dial and 4 the dial cap W ic supports the cams, as 5, for operating the dial needles. The machineV may have a plurality of feeds, in which event there would be a cam-set for each feed.

The needles 6 which are slidable in the dial, individually as usual, are of spring l The cylinder needles 7 are of the llatch type. Sinkers 8 cooperate with the spring beard needles to measure olf the loop lengths. These sinkers reciprocate vertically in a bed 9 attached to the cylinder 1. The cam ring for the sinkers is shown at 10. The cams are indicated at 11. The knitting operation is carried on in the usual manner. The yarn is fed to the spring beard needles by a tubular yarn guide finger 12, which directs the said yarn beneath the hook of the sinkers so thaty as the sinkers go down seriatim, they will measure off the loop lengths across the stems of the advanced spring beard needles, so that as these recede indivadually by the operation of theirA cams, as 5, thereon, they will feed the yarn to the cylinder needles and draw the new, loops through the old. The cylinder needles being of the latch type operate in the ordinary and Fig. l5" a rear edge vview of manner. l They are individually operated as am ing the old from the new loo s for ressing not-only as a presser member for the-spring beardv needles but also as a latch guard/ or .the latch needles, as willbe clear from Fig. 4,

It will be understood that by using spring beard needles to ether lwith latch needles finer gauges of abric are obtainable than would be possible if bothsets of needles were latch needles. Further by using latchneedles for one row, presser means or'thls row is eliminated. There .is no problem of dividon a second row of spring nee es, as t l e latch needles inherentlytake care of the trappmg of the new yarn with their latches as inordinary practice. Further 4by em loying the.' latch needles in the cylinder an the spring beard needles in the dial, visibility of and access to the knitting. elements is obtained for the reason thatvthe sinkers operate vertically and the bed and cam ring thereforare below the lane in which the spring beard needles wor and are substantially no hi her than the verge of the cylinder and dial. he sinkers are spaced considerably apart from the cylinder thus enhancingvisibility of the knitting elements. The cam ring for the sinkers furnishes a su port for the .heads of the advanced spring eard needles and susv ers. Y

' gether with latch needles, the advantage is' tains them against the thrust of the yarn when carried across their lstems by the sink- By the use of the spring beard needles togained that latch interference, such as takes lace when two setsfof latch needles are used,

1s avoided, particularly in tine gauges.

The yar-n guide tube is carried by a finger Biece vor button V15 turnable in' a bracket 16.

y tube can be moved out from under the hook of the sinker so that threading'of the yarn the side of the cylin rical portion ofthe finger piece. These cut away portions 19 and 20 lie at an angle to each other as shown in dotted lines in button.

Means are provided forraising and lowering the dial andfiialycap relative to the cylinder so that 'access 'readilymay be had to the knitting elements; particularly the needles of the cylinders For this purpose'the dial 3 is pinnedza t 2 1 to a post. This post at its upper end yinfned thereto at 21- the gear 22 by lwhich t post with its dial turning this finger piece, the yarn guide4 the plan view of the finger' 'chine'is of that type in which the needle cyl- -inders revolveand the cams remain stationary, though vthe invention is not limi-ted to this type ofmachine in all of its aspects. `This gear 22 has its hub supported by ak ball bearing organization 23 which in turn rests upon theupper end of a sleeve 24' having a head or .iange 25 at its upper end, vin arecess of which the ball bearing organization 23 is supported. Secured to the flange 25 are rack or toothed bars 26 which extend down through openings in the fixed frame member 27, which is supported by posts as at 28 Ifrom the base of the machine. These rack bars are v engaged by a screw thread 29 on the interior of a gear 31. This gear rests upon the upper endl of the hub 271 3f the `frame member 27 an it is operate a'pinion 30 en a the teeth 3lthereof. yThe pinion is muigiltld on'a shaft 34 which has its bearings in a bracket- 32 and at 33 in the hub 27 a of the spider frame 27 f The bracket 32 depends -bars 26, thus raising the sleeve 24 and the hubA of gear 22, which in-turn lifts the dial post v which is pinned to the hub at 21a. Lifting of the post thus raises the dial and its ca The means for rotating the cylinder may e ofA any well known arrangement and need not be illustrated here.-

' In order to adjust the dial with its cam cap relativ'eto the needle cylinder, the upper end ofthedial post is reduced and threadedv at 38 and a nut 39 having a graduatedring- 40 serves as the means for accurately setting the dial post at the desired elevation.

The nut 39 will be turned in relation to any suitable marker marks on the hub ofthe gear 22.

' As in usual practice, the gear 22 is operated from an7 suitable pinion or gear so'that vthe c linder and dial will rotate in unison. The ial cap may be held in ixed'position b'y any suitablel bracket or link connection with the main frame, as in ordinary practice, asis well known. j

In Fig. 2 I have'shown the proper relation lof thev toothed bars or racks to the spider frame work 27. That is to say, the toothed bars are located on radii intermediate the radially extending arms of the frame. i

lIn Fi 1, however, and merely for convenience o illustration, theset0othed bars are shown as though located inthe same radial planes with the arms 'of the spider frame.

I claim:

1. A rib knitting machine in which spring beard needles operate in a lhorizontal plane,

fue

sinkers operating in a vertical plane for feeding the yarn to the spring beard needles, and latch needles operating in a vertical plane and to which the spring beard needles feed the yarn, substantially as described.

2. A rib knitting machine, having a row of spring beard needles and a cooperating row of latch needles said spring needles operating in a horizontal plane, sinkers for feeding the yarn to the spring beard needles, said sinkers extending and operating in a vertical plane, and having overhanging hooks at their upper ends, cam means below the plane of the horizontal spring beard needles for operating the sinkers, and means for feeding the yarn beneath the overhanging hooked ends of the sinkers, substantially as described.

3. A rib knitting machine having a .cylinder and dial, spring beard needles in the dial, latch needles in the cylinder, vertically operating sinkers havingupper overhanging hooks, cam means below the plane of the horizontal spring needles for operating the sinkers, means for feeding yarn beneath the hooks of the sinkers, a presser for the needle beards, said presser extending in front of the latch needles and serving as a latch guard therefor, substantially as described.

4. A -rib knitting machine comprising snring beard needles inr one row, means for operating said needles individually, latch needles in the other row with means for operating said needles individually to cooperate with the spring beard needles for making rib fabric, sinkers having overhan ing hooks to feed the yarn to thespring nee les means for feeding the yarn under the hooks, and means for operating the sinkers located on the side of the needles opposite that upon which the hooks of the sinkers normally lie, said spring needles feeding the yarn to the latch needles.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

KENNETH HowIE. 

